Customer Reviews

TomTom GO 740TM LIVE 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Over a period of about three months, we (my family and I) bought and used the following three GPS systems in various locations in Texas and under varying driving conditions:

1. Garmin nuvi 1690 nuLink
2. Garmin nuvi 3790T
3. TomTom Go 740TM Live

Here is what we observed:

1. The Garmin nuvi 1690 nuLink has the best POI/White Pages/Google search system and decent Traffic information (minus any I.Q. Route or nuRoute to take into consideration varying driving patterns by day of week or time of day). Menus are very easy to use. Includes paid cellular (nuLink) traffic capabilities.

2. The Garmin nuvi 3790T has a "Pretty Face". On looks alone, the 3790T will win any GPS beauty contest. However, over the course of about a month of driving, mostly in a high traffic metroplex locations, nothing stood out that would indicate that the nuRoute traffic feature was making any significant difference in routing. Searches are based on built-in POI only, no Google search, etc. No cellular traffic (nuLink) capability for traffic reporting in "off the beaten path" driving locations. Menus are very easy to use.

3. The TomTom Go 740TM Live is a real "Work horse" when it comes to traffic handling. Its I.Q. routes, combined with superior traffic handling software (what it can do with the traffic data it receives), make it stand out head and shoulders above the other GPS systems we tested. When it comes to "good looking" maps, the Garmin products have it beat, but not to the point of not letting you know exactly where you are at the moment, and where you are going next. Menus are a bit cumbersome, but the fine tuning capabilities that the system allows is superior to the other GPS systems we tested. Finally, the combined use of the "T" on the TomTom (free lifetime traffic) and the "Live" (paid cellular traffic) offers a very complete traffic coverage system. When one of the traffic systems (T or Live) loses its signal, the other takes over without missing a beat. None of the other GPS systems we tested (with nuLink or with T only) have this capability. The "M" on the TomTom (free lifetime Maps) is another plus.

We decided to keep the TomTom Go 740TM Live system. By the way, unlike the experiences reported by some, we compared the Customer Services of both TomTom and Garmin, and did not find any significant difference between the two. Thirty minute wait times on the phone were not uncommon on either, and usefulness of information seemed to depend on which agent answered the phone.

I've previously owned a lower end TomTom, and it worked very well with my Apple Macintosh Computers. The upgrade to the 740 with lifetime maps and Live Services was something I was really looking forward to. I got mine just before a trip to the East Cost so I had little time to sort things out. Other than the unit going into some kind of demo mode during the trip Live Services traffic update re-routed me and saved the day when going from Cape Cod to Logan Airport in Boston. It routed me through Quincy and the 43 minute delay from the initial route dropped to a 15 minute delay using the alternative route. Going into demo mode was by the way dangerous as I kept on having to poke the screen to get back to the navigation screen. Works out of the box, not.

When I got home I called TomTom to get rid of the demo mode, and it took several calls, with over 40 minute wait times, to fix the problem that turned out to be a simple solution. A pity the first tech. support person didn't know about the fix even though I referenced it as I had gotten some advice on a TomTom forum. One of the faulty fixes I got was to reinstall the application on the 740. I did and of course that didn't fix the problem. But what it did do was kill the Traffic update via Live Services. The TomTom tech. knew about this issue but failed to tell me until I called back. A call back confirmed that due to a issue with the latest version of their application and their servers, this problem was not going to be fixed for at least three or more weeks. When I asked if they would credit me for the lost time on this service (you get 3 free months) the TomTom tech said they could not. He referenced I could fall back on the F.M. based service as opposed to the cellular Live Services Traffic updates.

My only other issue was that the 740 has a dim screen no matter what you do when faced with bright sunlight. I did not have this problem with my older 130S. The feature set on the 740TM is fabulous. Too bad TomTom's out of the box experience was such a disappointment, and their tech. support is so uneven, and takes so long to access.

When I recently setup a new different model TomTom on a Windows 7 PC, I encountered a few issues. I assumed these issues were Windows 7 related because I couldn't confirm in my included manual nor TomTom's web site that Windows 7 was supported, only Windows Vista. I decided to setup this TomTom 740 on my Mac. I downloaded the latest version of Home and connected the 740 to my Mac. I immediately encountered an error claiming I had the incorrect operating system on the device After re-connecting the device to the computer, it successfully detected the 740 and updated the device fairly quickly. There wasn't much room left after all of the updates but fortunately, the 740 has a microSD slot for expanding memory. I plan to add a 4GB card immediately. I then discovered that my activation code for lifetime maps would not work. I got an error screen and no further info. After several unsuccessful attempts to register the code, I decided to try installing the Home software on a different Windows 7 PC. After installing the software, the drivers for the GPS failed to install properly on the first attempt. After installing the drivers on a second attempt, I was finally able to successfully register the lifetime maps code.

I love the windshield mount. The charger plugs into the mount instead of the GPS and the GPS conveniently snaps onto a little cradle on the mount . After powering on, the GPS takes approximately one minute to acquire a signal. The touchscreen isn't responsive enough for my tastes. Sometimes I had to repeatedly push my selection in order for it to register. Other times I would push a selection and it would take a second or two to register. The touchscreen on my previous TomToms seemed a little better. The 740 has voice recognition as well. You press an icon on the touchscreen and speak your command. It works pretty good. You can use it to adjust views, request routes, change routes, and with the hands free calling. Routing with the IQ feature worked perfectly. I have a route that has a traffic light that gets pretty congested at certain times of the day. However, if you make a right turn at the intersection before the light, drive up to the next light and make a left, you can bypass the backlog. When I use the TomTom during that time of day, it routes me up the alternate street to avoid the backup at the light. If you weren't aware of the IQ feature, it would seem a little weird, as if the 740 was making you drive in circles. However, since I'm very familiar with that intersection and the traffic conditions, it was pretty impressive that it knew to do that. This location is in the suburbs of Philadelphia, so I imagine it would work even better on the major roadways in and around the city. Regular GPS mapping was pretty good and a lot more reliable than my former TomTom One-XL.

Some brief observations of some of the other features of the 740TM:

* I don't really find any usefulness in the lane guidance feature. I feel the GPS already does an adequate job of preparing you for turns and exits.

*The 740 has Bluetooth hands free connection for speaking on your phone. I already have a Bluetooth hands-free speaker in my car, so I likely won't use it, but it's a good option to have.

* The 740 offers TomTom's Live Services. I don't plan to use it because I just can't see paying $9.95 per month for information that I can already pull from my Droid smart phone. There is a free 90-day trial period if you're interested in trying the service. The Live service provides basic over the air info like weather, email, fuel prices, and more detailed traffic. (The lifetime traffic feature included with the 740 is sufficient unless you want to compare routes before departing. It only reports traffic conditions along your predetermined route. It also works through an RDS-TMC receiver embedded in the charging cable, not through the Live services).

* I elected to download safety camera updates onto my device. Safety cameras (red light, speeding, blocking the box, etc) are becoming more and more popular in the US, so it's good to know where they'll be popping up. This option is included under TomTom services (TomTom services are free and paid optional services available through the Home software. It's not the same as TomTom Live)

* The gas price comparison service costs $19.95 per year and will actually direct you to the service station. Once again, I have other options on my phone, but this one might be worth considering if you don't use a smart phone or have another mobile option for comparing gas prices. This could literally pay for itself over a year.

* In addition to the nice windshield mount, the 740 includes a cradle for connecting to your computer. It's much more practical and aesthetically pleasing than having a USB cord dangling from your PC.

In this age of smart phones, some of the Live features on the 740 can be a little redundant. If you haven't jumped on the smart phone wagon and would still like to access data on the go in your vehicle, the Live service provides another option. I think TomTom would have a lot more success with it if they dropped the price to something more realistic, like $5 per month or less. $10 is a lot to ask for basically the weather, more detailed traffic, and a few other data options in a device that isn't as portable as a cell phone. That's just my opinion on the value per dollar of the Live service. As a navigation device, the 740 performs well. The IQ routing works as advertised and the traffic, time estimates, and fastest available routes were all usually accurate. Pretty much the only minor cons I could find with this device were the goofy setup issues.

I purchased the Tom Tom recently and found it to be a little complex to use. I attribute that to it's amazing capabilities. I have used a Magellan, a Garmin and most recently a Dash whose technology has been sold and the company discontinued service on June 30th. So I am familiar with various applications and their use. In my humble opinion, The Tom Tom Go 740 TM Live has everything they all had and much more. It is however, in high demand by thieves as I have been the victim of attempted robbery twice and the evidence proved that the thieves were only interested in the GPS which I had securely tucked away in my hand bag. I had left the plug in mechanism on my windshield. Take it with you. Get a carrying case and use it. Remove temptation.

I love GPS units. As a 61 year old woman who has spent much of her adult life 'LOST!', the idea of a gadget for my car that can FIND me is just wonderful. I always offer to review these when they are available because I just really love them.

This is a nice, full featured GPS. I brought it along on a recent 'antiquing weekend' trip, where a friend and I did a totally freeform trip with no specific destination in mind, just a general idea of where we'd go. The GPS served us very well.

My review will in places compare it with the GPS I am accustomed to using, a new Garmin Nuvi 3790T. It might seem a bit unfair to compare these two because the Garmin is admittedly their high-end unit and considerably more expensive than the TomTom, but I offer the comparison because TomTom did very well!

Physically, this GPS has a 4.3 inch screen which shows up well on a sunny day. There are a lot of customization features that allow the user to lay out the screen and choose which options show up, and where. It can be switched from a 2D to 3D view easily and I did notice that the 2D view allowed for panning out a lot further than the 3D view did. The speaker is on the back of the unit, and the volume is excellent, easy to hear and can be turned up very loud indeed. It comes with a suction-cup windshield mount and I confess I am not overfond of these. TomTom does say that they are compatible with ProClip car mounts, and I am a ProClip fan so I have one of these in my car. The TomTom attached to it very well in its bracket.

If you like to remove your GPS from the car when you park and carry it with you, this one is a tad heavy for a purse and a bit too thick to fit in a jeans pocket.

On our trip, we wanted to go to a particular area and follow a specific route. No GPS that I've ever found is especially easy to use this way. They want a destination, and they want to plan their route. If you want to stick as much as possible to (in our example) Route 15, a GPS is not going to be happy about it. I did manage to do it with this TomTom by pulling up the map view and tapping on Route 15 any time we went off that route and wanted to return. I used my fingernail to hit the screen, but a stylus might be easier to use for this kind of fine control.

If we missed a turn, there was no irritated voice saying 'Off route, recalculating' as I normally hear from my Garmin. The TomTom simply recalculated quietly and brought us back on-route as soon as it could. I did appreciate not having to listen to it complain when we ignored it <grin>.

The search function in this TomTom was not as good as in my Garmin. I asked it to find nearby 'Antiques' and it found no matches, though the Garmin did manage to find 6 shops, so clearly TomTom could afford to do some improvements in their search algorithm. Of course you can pull up a list of nearby shops and manually look for what you want, which works just fine.

The 'Live' features in this device worked very well. We were warned in advance several times of traffic jams ahead, and the unit offered to bypass them if we wanted. It also offered to avoid toll roads and unpaved roads.

I really loved the voice recognition feature on this unit. My Garmin often misunderstands commands...I will say 'Go Home' and it will say 'Call Mom?'. This TomTom unit easily recognized what I was saying and I liked it a lot. It easily paired with my Droid cell phone and the voice dial features worked great! I rarely use the voice command feature on my Garmin because it simply doesn't understand me very well. TomTom definitely wins this comparison.

All in all, I do like this GPS and I will use it again in the future. The price indicates that it's one of TomTom's high end units, and I do think the feature list is very nice.

I have an earlier model TomTom and was mostly happy with it. I ordered the 740 TM Live with some concern because of the content of the negative reviews, both here and elsewhere online. When my TomTom arrived, it was immediately clear I was going to experience many of the same problems others described.

1-Although I ordered TM version, card in box with code mentioned only Maps, not both Maps and Traffic. Possibly this was OK, but given the number of people who ended up in screaming fights with TomTom Customer service over this issue, I was concerned.

2-Charger did not work when connected directly to my computer via USB port. No indication that charging was occurring.

3-Worst problem was that whenever I connected the charger to my computer and responded "Yes" to "Do You Want to Connect to 'Computer'?" the device would reboot and force me to go through all the configuration process again.

At this point I decided I wasn't willing to cope with the hostile TomTom support personnel and returned it to Amazon. As usual, Amazon made returns completely painless, making me very glad that I bought it here.

Update 7/9/10

I bought another 740TM from Amazon a few weeks ago. I wanted to give it a thorough test before updating.

This one is MUCH better; only one minor problem: it refuses to set a favorite based on the car's current location. It says "Poor GPS reception; are you inside a building?" When I check the satellite status screen, I have a lock on 7 or 8 satellites, so this sounds like a software bug. Best of all, no demo mode! Battery life is slightly disappointing, but you need to keep it plugged in to use the traffic feature, so that's not a big deal.

After I bought again, I called TomTom and had a long talk with the support people about the problems I had with the one below. This is what I found out.

1) This version of the GO has an updated GUI. The menu bar is now divided into 3 sections rather than 2, with the new center section being devoted to switching between 2D and 3D views. If you're following a route, the menu returns to its prior appearance (i.e., from earlier models); if you press the center section, though, you get the 2D/3D switch menu.

2) The current versions of the maps and the navcore app are not getting along when it comes to traffic. They were supposed to update maps or app (can't recall) to make them compatible by sometime in July 2010. They advised me to call them before downloading a new map as part of the lifetime map guarantee.

3) They said there are some issues with "Operate My Go" in TomTom Home. You can't do everything you can if you were using it manually. Some menu items are grayed out, and some do not even appear.

In terms of use, the traffic seems to work pretty well, and in response to a commenter on this review, the 740TM is supposed to have lifetime traffic. The Live services are what costs after the first 3 months. Speaking of which, the gas search is kind of cool, but the Google search is next to useless; I was trying to get movie times and all I could get, no matter which search terms I used, were the theatre locations. I doubt that I will keep paying for this service. The new Garmin 1490T has free Google search for 2 YEARS, and after that it's only $5/month, I think. That model seems to have some issues too, though.

Anyway, glad I waited and bought another. I gave it 4 stars because nothing's perfect, and this has enough quirks (favorites marking, google search) to make it less than perfect.

Update 6/10/10

TomTom tells me that to fix problem 3, below, I must delete a folder called "scripts" from the unit while it is attached to my PC. That's all well and good, but it's advertised (as I well know because of this very problem) as working right out of the box. You can use it, supposedly, without ever having to attach it to your computer.

6/4/10

Where to begin?

I received this less than 24 hours ago, and already it has been such a problem that I'm sending it back.

1) There is supposed to be a promotion code/activation code in the box that enables the lifetime maps. It was not there. The TomTom support representative to whom I spoke asked me to look again. And again. And again. I finally told her that the box was not the size of a hotel room, and that there simply was no such code. So, in order to get a code, I have to scan my receipt showing that indeed it is 740 TM and not just 740 or 740T. Then I have to upload that to their site. Finally, they want me to CALL THEM BACK to tell them that I've uploaded it. Yeah, I'm going to wait 40 min on hold for that. Customer service people are OK, but customer service POLICIES blow. In any case, she said that this would not affect usage, just map updates in the future.

2) Ha. In the car, the traffic doesn't work. I get the message "Your RDS-TMC receiver will not work in combination with the current map." A little research tells me that this usually happens when people buy a unit in the US and take it to Europe, or vice versa. Clearly, I have not done that. Strike 2.

3) The unit seems to be stuck in Demo mode. After 2 minutes, the map goes away and I am treated to a slide show advertising the virtues of the 740. It would be nice if these features actually worked. Research says I should be able to disable this by resetting the unit. Unsurprisingly, that does not work. Strike 3.

4) Today I find that, even after charging it overnight, the unit will not stay powered on when not connected to power. I get the message "Shutting down your GO 740 Live in 10 seconds." I search the web, and there is a "Shut down when disconnected from power" option buried in the setup menus. I know that it is not checked because I went through every setting, but I look anyway. Not checked. Strike 4.

For a company that advertises "it works right out of the box," this is egregiously poor quality control. I will probably order another when Amazon has them in stock again (1-2 months, according to the product page). When I do get it, I will call customer service and set it up with them on the phone. There are way too many "gotchas" for a product advertised as working right out of the box.

This would have been my third TomTom. I had a GO 300 that I sold to upgrade to a 730, which was stolen. I never really even considered another manufacturer, because TomTom had the features I wanted and, for me, usability was perfect. Maybe it's time to check out Garmin and Magellan, but I'm guessing that to get even similar functionality, I'm going to have to pay a whole lot more.

Very disappointed in TomTom.

*Update 5*

Since receiving the refurbished GO 740 TM Live, here's the latest: I had it for about a week, maybe a week and a half, and on my morning drive to work one day, noticed super heavy traffic on my route. Since the GO 740 TM Live is supposed to offer real-time traffic updates, I tried to get those, only to be given an "Error 1506" message. I called in to TomTom Tech Support to be told to reset the unit; "that should fix the problem" she said.

Once I was at work and had a minute to do so, I tried holding down the power button until the TomTom sound played (known as a soft reset; the hard reset has to be done from the system's menus while on, and THAT is what will ALWAYS erase EVERYTHING that you've put on your unit), and allowed the system to process the soft reset. Turned it back on, made sure I had it where it picked up a strong signal... Nothing. Error 1506 was still coming up.

I called back in and spoke to another agent who did further research, only to have that agent find that Error 1506 is an irreparable error; they can't do anything to fix it. Apparently, from what this agent said, the GO 740 TM Live has the capability to EITHER run its Traffic updates, OR operate Live services, but not both. Definitely a problem, as it's billed to be able to do both simultaneously. She gave me the option of having my issue escalated to Corporate, although I'm not sure exactly what that would've done, as she said I could wait out the 3 month Live Services subscription I'd been granted due to preceding functionality issues. The other option that she offered me was a brand new GO 2405 TM.

After all of my troubles with the GO 740 TM Live, it was a no-brainer. I now have a GO 2405 on its way to me, and hope to never have as much difficulty with another GPS unit as I've had with the GO 740 TM Live. I say, "good riddance!" to it, as I keep my fingers crossed that the GO 2405 works as I'd always hoped the 740 would...

*Update 4*

Since last I wrote about my experiences with my GO 740TM Live here, I have had a technical support agent walk me through erasing the OS from my GPS unit, rendering it completely unusable, and been forced to send it back for RMA to receive a refurbished unit. The agent that had me erase the OS knew that TomTom HOME (the program used to update and install to the units), was not recognizing the unit prior to walking me through wiping my TomTom's memory. Didn't matter; he did it anyway. As I am not trained in what to do to repair defective TomTom units (as the Tech Support agents theoretically are), I had no idea that his directions were going to erase my system, and render it entirely non-functional. Luckily, via trial and error, I've grown moderately tech savvy, so I was able to add files from an old backup that I'd made just after initially setting the unit up. I copied and pasted files to the unit that was serving, basically, as nothing but bare memory, and was able to restore it to basic functionality at that point, but being that the unit's Sim card was not functioning properly, and not recognizing pertinent data needed for full functionality, I was forced to RMA it. Now I am slated to have a refurbished one delivered to me. I hope that I won't be inheriting someone else's problems with the "like new" unit, but I don't hold out much hope there. I haven't even owned my TomTom GO 740TM LIVE for a year yet. You'll also notice, if you research the unit, that these are no longer being sold. I don't doubt that it is due to the rampant problems with the unit.

You might be wondering why I'd go ahead and follow the steps the agent took me through and erase the OS off of my GPS system. Problem is, every time that I've called TomTom for tech support, the agent has always simply told me the steps to take, while never actually explaining what said steps were going to do. I've even asked questions prior to taking those steps to try to determine what the agent intended as the end result, with mixed results for those questions. The agents, as a supervisor there told me, focus on getting the problem that you originally called about resolved. I asked her how, exactly, that would make the situation better if, every time they've walked me through fixing ONE problem, the steps that they've taken me through actually cause further, and often WORSE, problems in the end. She had no real answer for that; she simply apologized repeatedly.

Oh, and, if you have to RMA your unit, they'll ship it back to you via FedEx, and they'll require your signature. But they won't tell you that when they mail it back out to you. And don't bother calling to ask them to call FedEx to have the unit held for you at the facility should you be unavailable to sign for it (as is my situation). TomTom will only tell you repeatedly that they can't call FedEx to request that the unit be held for pickup. Of course, in all likelihood, FedEx won't accept your request to have the unit held either, as you're simply the recipient, not the shipper who set up the signature request in the first place. Guess you're just s.o.l. (the supervisor that I was speaking with didn't appreciate my taking the bloom off the rose and simply declaring that flat out to him. Oh well. I've had too many problems with this unit at this point to be overly concerned about that).

Just go with another brand. It's GOT to be easier than this!

*Update 3*

*sigh*... WHEN the updates process well, they're great, but having just spoken directly to an agent at TomTom that has told me that this unit is incompatible with ANY OS but Windows XP, no WONDER I've been having all of the problems with it that I have! Apparently you can't use a dialup connection, let ALONE WiFi, to download or update your unit either - the connection has to be a solid, consistent one.

Aside from that, the TomTom HOME updating program (which you WILL need a computer to use, in order to keep your TomTom up-to-date and properly functional) is completely incompatible with Macs, Windows Vista, Windows 7 x32 OR x64, so buyer beware. It is, of course, relatively easy (if you're tech savvy) to change the compatibility settings of TomTom HOME in your system, so that you actually CAN update your TomTom, with as few issues as possible. Go to Computer -> C: -> Program Files (in Windows 7 x64, on my system, I access Program Files (x86) ) -> TomTom Home, then RIGHT-click on the TomTomHOME execution folder (if you place the cursor over the top of the file BEFORE clicking on it, an information window should open up, giving you the file description: TomTomHOME.exe). After you've right-clicked on the execution file, a menu will open up. At the bottom is "Properties". The second tab at the bottom in the Properties menu is Compatibility. Click here to open the tab, then click in the grayed-out box that allows you to set program compatibility to Windows XP. THAT should fix the incompatibility issue.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that TomTom has chosen to omit this system compatibility/incompatibility information, and has simply opted to put out products that they KNOW will not work with 97% of the computer systems out there IF you don't know how to change compatibility yourself. The customer support that I've gotten has also been quite hit or miss, often more hit with agents that are actually willing to help (like the first agent I spoke to when I found this issue out), but then miss with agents like the one that offered to send out another of the same unit that is no longer being sold (for OBVIOUS reasons!), that will be just as incompatible with my computer as my current unit. They're charging way too much money for GPS units that they KNOW the standard, uninformed user will have far too many problems with!

*Update 2*

TomTom must have been paying attention to customer dissatisfaction with their customer support, because over the past few weeks, when I've actually needed to call in (for various minor and not-so-minor issues), they've provided prompt, efficient, and overall excellent customer support to me during my interactions with them.

One of my calls was for something as simple as changing the time setting for Daylight Savings Time on my unit. It was a simple enough fix, but my TomTom's touch screen is sometimes either hyper-sensitive, or has a bit of a delay, so the unit was forever skipping past the page that would allow me to adjust the unit's time.

The next fix had to do with an unsuccessful 2 GB US Map update - the download took about ten minutes, which was just long enough for my system to go to sleep, and completely botch the install. Which, of course, subsequently screwed my system up. I called in for help, as I already knew how to reset the unit back to factory specs, and didn't want to lose all of my favorites and system settings. That call? Not so successful. The agent was a bit snide throughout, and instead of listening to my request to preserve my favorites and settings (even tried doing it via my memory card that I was using on the unit) he simply had me reformat the unit to factory specs, stumbling all over himself throughout. When he realized just how upset I was at what he'd had me do, he really didn't have much more to say.

The largest repair issue that I've had has come about due to the receiver disassembling itself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but all that I'd been doing prior to the disassembly was plugging and unplugging the unit from the same car charger port. That was it. It stayed in the receptacle of my car's center console, so it was simply push it in, pull it out of the outlet. Got in the car to plug it in one morning only to find that the collar holding the metal tip and fuse in place in the unit had unscrewed itself. Getting a replacement set up over the phone was relatively easy - all but for the agent's mis-entry of my information, which required not one, but two further trouble ticket updates on the website. And TomTom can't update an RMA once it's created - they have to create COMPLETELY new RMAs any time address information needs to be changed. So, three RMAs later, and my longest Thanksgiving drive to date just days away, they got the replacement item order together, and got the replacement receiver out to me just in time (good thing, too, 'cuz I wasn't keen on paying seventy bucks for a new receiver for a unit that I've only owned for about three months).

Overall, their customer service is FAR better and faster than anything mentioned in previous reviews here. It took me no more than five minutes on any of my MANY calls to speak to an agent, and 9 out of 10 of those agents were professional, efficient, pleasant, and very sympathetic and clearly eager to provide excellent customer service. Good improvements all around, TomTom!

*Update 1*

Since I've owned my TomTom GO 740TM LIVE GPS unit, I find that I've become a much calmer, more relaxed driver. I DO still get frustrated with thoughtless, inconsiderate, self-centered drivers that seem to ignore the other drivers on the road, but overall, the fact that my GPS is able to tell me where the traffic snarls are located, approximate how much of a delay traffic and travel issues are going to cause, and give me a pretty much always accurate idea of when I'll make it to my destination all help to drastically reduce my "angry driver" tendencies. I've even set my system up to honk at me when I exceed the posted speed limit in the area. All of these things, I feel, make me a MUCH better, much safer driver. Which all add up to make this the best item that I've been fortunate enough to receive from Amazon's Vine program!

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*Original Review*

I've had my TomTom GO 740TM LIVE for a few weeks now and, overall, I'm very happy with it. Having it with me gives me a great sense of confidence no matter where I'm driving. I'm certain that, with this GPS unit on hand, I no longer have to worry about getting lost.

Working from the outside in, the packaging is pretty informative on the features of this TomTom model, and accurately cites them, in my opinion. Nothing is overstated.

The internal packaging nicely presents the TomTom unit itself, and comes with plenty of information to get you started and get your unit up and running. You WILL need to insert the CD to install TomTom HOME if you haven't done so for a previous TomTom model, and the install and setup of TomTom HOME is quick & easy. TomTom HOME checks for updates to your unit as soon as it's connected and recognized. It can, however, be a bit glitchy at times. I've found that the best way to get TomTom Home to recognize that the unit is plugged in is to plug the data cradle in first, THEN connect the TomTom unit and power it on.

As others have mentioned in their reviews of the GO 740 TM, the initial system setup was quite the pain in the keyster. TomTom HOME installed just fine, but trying to get it to accept my LIVE Services and Lifetime Maps code was a chore! I registered my unit and created an account on the website, and upon connecting the unit to my computer and TomTom HOME, it immediately prompted me to do a system software update. Done and done. After that, from the first of the two TomTom HOME main pages, I tried entering my activation code via the proper page tab. TomTom HOME wouldn't accept it. No detailed notification as to why or what the problem was; it just wouldn't take the code, even after multiple attempts. *sigh*.

So, after having spent a moderate 15 - 20 minutes setting up the latest updates (which can feel like an eternity to impatient me), I was NOT going to erase everything from my unit and reinstall it all, as the Support section of the TomTom site suggested. A pop-up message even showed up in My TomTom on the website, telling me to reinstall everything after basically erasing all that was on it. Nope; not doing it. I instead opted to follow the suggestion of one of my fellow reviewers, and simply rebooted the unit by turning it off and then back on while it was still connected. Wonder of wonders, that seemed to do it. After the power down/power back up, I went back into TomTom HOME, entered my code, and this time, the system accepted it. TomTom HOME then prompted me to install the latest North America map, which took most of the unit's internal memory (the map update alone was a 2 GB file).

After that, I popped in a 4 GB Micro SD card that I had laying around, and proceeded to customize my TomTom (from the Add Traffic, Voices, Safety Information, Etc tab) and set up my initial account information, all of which was quite simple and straightforward to do. So, once you've gotten past any initial code verification issues, it should be just as easy for you to download and install customizations to your TomTom.

After tackling those tasks, it was on to syncing my Verizon Wireless LG EnV Touch with my TomTom GO 740 TM LIVE. Easy enough!

...

Or so I thought. Amazingly enough, there's a very limited list of Verizon Wireless phones that the 740 TM LIVE is apparently set up to work with. Honestly, I suspect that this is entirely due to Verizon Wireless' desire to restrict GPS access to their phones so that they can get more revenue from their customers via their own VZ Navigator subscription plans. Another strike against Verizon Wireless, in my book. Good business is one thing, but being plain greedy is entirely another.

Just so you know (and don't have to go looking all over for it), here's a listing of the phones that are compatible with the 740 TM LIVE, from the website itself:

"AT&T/Cingular:
LG CU575, LG CE110*, Motorola RAZR V3, Motorola RAZR V3i, Motorola ROKR E1, Motorola L6, Motorola L2, Motorola RAZR V3xx, Motorola RAZR 2 v9, Motorola SLVR L7, Motorola MPx220, Motorola Q9H, Motorola ROKR E1, HTC TyTN, Nokia 3650, Nokia E61, Nokia E62, Nokia N75, Nokia 9300, Nokia 9300i, Nokia 7610, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6550, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6820i, Nokia 6131, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6103, Sony Ericsson W550i, Sony Ericsson Z520, Sony Ericsson Z525, Sony Ericsson Z530, Sony Ericsson s710a*, Apple iPhone*, Blackberry 8820*, Blackberry 8300 Curve*, Samsung SGH-A517, Samsung SGH-A707, Samsung SGH-A727, Samsung SGH-i607*, Siemens SX66*
T-Mobile:
Blackberry 8700g*, Blackberry 8100 Pearl*, Motorola PEBL U6, Motorola RAZR V3, Motorola RAZR V3i, Motorola RAZR V3t, Nokia 3650, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6131, Nokia 6103, Nokia 5300, Nokia 8800
Sprint/Nextel:
Motorola 1605*, Motorola i870*, Motorola i880*
Verizon: LG VX5400*, LG VX8350*, LG VX8500 (Chocolate)*, LG VX8700*, LG VX9900*, Motorola RAZR V3*, Samsung SCH-U700*, Samsung SCH-u470 Juke*

* Hands-free calling only. Access to TomTom PLUS Services not supported."

I finally got my TomTom to sync with my LG EnV Touch by setting my phone to "visible" Bluetooth mode. Oddly enough, my LG EnV Touch had detected the TomTom in a previous sync attempt, so it was already selectable on my phone. All it took from that point was punching in the "0000" unlock code, and I can now use the speaker and microphone on my TomTom as the audio sources for my calls. I HAVE had issues with transferring the sound to my cell phone when I've arrived at my destination, only to find that my TomTom seems to opt to not fully power down when I've taken the standard steps to shut it down, and then it tries to transfer the call back to the unit but instead disconnects the call. Additionally, I still cannot dial calls through my TomTom (even though my TomTom states "LG VX11000 connected" upon startup when my phone's Bluetooth is on, when I try to select a dialing option from the 740 TM's menus, it suddenly notifies me that "no phone" is "connected"). It also seems like the bulk of the other features that TomTom offers for Bluetooth calling are inaccessible with my cellphone model. So, I can use the speaker and mike to make my calls, but must place those calls directly from the phone itself.

The myriad features that the TomTom GO 740 TM LIVE has are, overall, very helpful to me. And, now that I've completed a First Aid course and received certification in First Aid, I love that, under the "Help" menu, users can access a First Aid manual in addition to other standard content. The Lifetime Maps feature DOES only include one free map per quarter, or every three months, and any more often than that that you download them will be at an average cost of about fifty bucks, but that's still better than what's apparently offered with other TomTom models. I've got a family friend who has always kept up with the latest technological gadgets, and he mentioned that he CAN download new maps to his older model TomTom, but it's at an average price of about eighty bucks. In addition to that, he was pretty much blown away by the lifetime real-time traffic updates, and the fact that you can now set your preferred arrival time to your destination, as opposed to simply punching in the route and arriving whenever it happens to be when you get there. He felt that that was a great feature, and I couldn't agree more (of course, you have to LEAVE at the time that the TomTom suggests to make it to your destination by your goal, but at least you know when to get out on the road). He was also pretty tickled by seeing the Golden Arches logo pop up, as well as many other fast food, gas, and other points of interest clearly depicted on the designated route. I myself love that the imagery shown in the Advanced Lane Guidance feature clearly indicates where you need to be when you make your turn (that could've saved us a VERY dangerous rerouting on L.A.'s 405 last year when we missed a very important turn onto another freeway, and Dad ended up driving over the sand freeway separator to merge with oncoming traffic. And I'm NOT making that up)!

Honestly, this is the first GPS that I've ever owned, even though I did do the setting up and adjusting on my parents' Garmin during travels through California last year, but I LOVE my TomTom GO 740 TM LIVE. Just about every feature that I could hope for in a GPS is here, and many of them for a moderate monthly subscription price, if not free (if I'm going to pay ten bucks a month for GPS features, I'd rather they be on a dedicated model as opposed to my phone). Yes, many of the LIVE features "included" with this model are only free for a 3 month trial period, but the features that you have to pay for after that point are pretty much optional, in my opinion. The really valuable ones, like the quarterly map updates and the real-time traffic notifications, truly ARE included free of charge for the life of the unit, and to me, those are the most important features.

At this point, the price for this TomTom model has already decreased from what it was upon its initial release, and I don't doubt that it will continue to decrease over time, as many merchandise prices tend to do. Even if the price DOESN'T go down any further, though, this unit will still be well worth its cost, in my opinion. The website's "Support" features are really quite terrible for this day and age - there's just no denying that - but if you or someone in your immediate family is relatively tech-savvy, I believe that you'll be able to figure out a working and satisfactory fix on your own, or via the information posted on the Internet. The small glitches, bugs, and minor problems that you may encounter here and there don't detract enough from the value of this unit's features to make it less than a very good buy for what you're getting.

I've used my TomTom GO 740 TM LIVE every day since I got it, to notify me of traffic delays on my route and keep me on track for getting to work on time. Its other features are just the icing on the cake, and have made it pretty indispensable for me. Even though it's not completely compatible with my model of cell phone, the safety features that it provides me with makes it one of the best things I've gotten in recent history. In my opinion, this TomTom model, with the features that it offers, is worth every single penny.

I've had a preference for TomTom for several years, going back to the GO 900 series.

From the very beginning, I've always known that Mac support from TomTom was always an afterthought, and set my expectations accordingly. Well... TomTom can limbo well under that bar with their current TomTom Home release.

In a nutshell: if you want this GPS to do anything other than get you from point A to point B, you're out of luck. Grabbing the latest version of the TomTom Home application was simple enough, though it confusingly installed itself in to my home directory, instead of my Applications folder.

Launching the application was an exercise in pain and futility. You're instantly greeted with a barrage of "FORBIDDEN" errors. Having previous experience with TomTom, I knew I needed to log in, or create a new account -- not that this is obvious to anyone who has never used the software before. So, I created a fresh new account, and got the same errors.

"I know! I haven't entered my voucher code for updates. I'll do that!"
"An error has occurred. Please try again."
"Maybe I typed it in wrong..."
"An error has occurred. Please try again."
"Maybe it's case sensitive..."
"An error has occurred. Please try again."
"Reset the GPS?"
"An error has occurred. Please try again."
"Reboot?"
"An error has occurred. Please try again."
"Wait a few hours?"
"An error has occurred. Please try again."

As seemingly vague as that message is, TomTom actually has a support document about it. Unfortunately, it provides no solution whatsoever.

You may be thinking "Well, you're a Mac zealot. This could never happen on my Windows machine! Who cares that the Mac software is awful?". Au contraire, mon ami. Having thrown in the towel, I relented and booted up a Windows 7 machine. Same problems, across the board.

So, no updates. No extra voices. No MapShare. At this point, it's a cheapest-you-can-get-me GPS with text-to-speech and a Bluetooth speakerphone.

Bluetooth speakerphone! There's a good feature, right? Well, not so much. The sound quality from the internal speaker starts to drop off immensely when you have it turned up loud enough to compensate for minor road noise. Extend a hearty "good luck!" to whoever you're calling, because chances are, they're not going to hear a word you say. On that tangent, using the voice activated functions is a similarly dismal experience.

As for the rest of the hardware, the screen is nice, though nothing remarkable compared to other models in this price range. Touch screen accuracy was surprisingly spotty, and the OS is incredibly sluggish. How TomTom has made a GPS in 2010 that's slower and less functional than a nearly-identical GO 920 (which was long in the tooth in late 2007) is beyond me.

If you really like TomTom and have a Mac, you're better off getting a cheaper model.

I broke a Garmin I was very happy with. But I didn't like receiving ads on my Garmin. I didn't buy it so Garmin could make money by sending me ads.

I read the reviews on Amazon.com and another consumer magazine. I know the average on Amazon.com was higher then than it is today. I think today's average for this unit is more accurate. I would not have bought it with a 3-star average and I sure would never recommend anyone buy it today.

Just a few examples: I was looking for the Alexandria train station while I was in Washington DC. I was two miles from Union Station, Washington's main Amtrack station. The Tom Tom could not find any versions using the words "train station" or "Amtrack" or "train" or "station" except it found one Amtrack station thirty miles south of where I wanted to go. On another occasion I was headed to a restaurant and luckily saw the place before the Tom Tom announced I should make a right turn on a highway entrance ramp that would have taken me miles out of my way. I could give lots of other examples. It couldn't even find a gas station one mile from my house that had been there since automobiles were invented. I didn't keep count, but the Tom Tom had it wrong about 75% of the time.

While I hope I save someone the pain of owning this unit, my real reason for writing is to compliment Amazon.Com. Nope, they paid me nothing for this. I returned the item after I had it for a few months (I work many hours a week and this didn't have my top priority.) Amazon took it all back with a refund. One of my concerns about using on-line retailers has been complexity of the return process. In brick stores, you get to talk to someone. In this case, I'm very pleased with Amazon.com.

I'll buy another Garmin (from Amazon.com) and put up with the ads. My old Garmin never failed me like this Tom Tom does. GPS units aren't perfect, but this was ridiculous.